Brokenstar's Past
by Antartica
Summary: This is the tale of Brokendtar's past, why he grew up to be so bloodthirsty, at least, how I think he was. From Brokenkit to Brokenstar, and finally back to Brokentail, this is a bloody and tragic tale, not ment for little kids.
1. Chapter 1

**I OWN NOTHING IN THIS STORY. ALL CHARACTERS AND ORIGINAL IDEA GOES TO ERIN HUNTER.**

"Come on, you useless furball, get up." Lizardstripe sneered at me and my siblings. "Give me a moment's peace and go outside, but stay in the camp." We all heard her sigh of relief when we ran out of the nursery.

"Ratkit, Poppykit, let's go!" I yowled as we got out into the leaf fall sun, shining warmly down upon the ShadowClan camp.

"Slow down, Brokenkit!" Ratkit called out after me.

"We can't keep up!" Poppykit hollered out after him.

When I stopped, I whirled around and looked at them with a playful glint in my eyes. "Let's play warriors. I'll be ShadowClan, and you two cam be an enemy patrol!"

"Brokenkit, you were Shadow clan _last_ time, it's my turn." Poppykit whined as we moved out of the way of the deputy, Foxheart.

"Fine." I grumbled. "But I'm not being WindClan. I'll be ThunderClan. You can't beat me, anyways."

"Yes I could!"

"No"

"YES!"

"Nope."

"I COULD!"

"Oh yeah, then _prove_ it, she-kit. Prove you can." I taunted. Then, she leaped at me, claws unsheathed. I dodged with ease. This went on for quite some time, when Ratkit broke it up.

"Calm down, you two. The apprentices are staring at us." And he was right. The apprentices were staring at us, purring with great amusement, which _we_ had provided. We were so embarrassed that we sank back into the nursery with Lizardstripe.

"They'll be apprentices soon, thank StarClan." Lizardstripe said as we padded in. "I'm looking forward to having my own nest again."

"I'm sure you are, Lizardstripe." Darktail purred. "Mine won't leave my side for another four moons. Not that I want them to."

The next morning, I woke my adopted littermates as soon as I could. "Ratkit, Poppykit, wake up!" I meowed excitedly. The moment they were on their paws, I yowled, "We're getting our apprentice names today, NOW!"

As soon as I finished, I raced out of the den as fast as I could. I was so exited that I could hardly breathe. "Let all cats old enough to know the Shadows, join beneath the high rock for a clan meeting." Raggedstar, my father, called out. I was running so fast, I nearly crashed into it. "Brokenkit, Ratkit, and Poppykit, you have each reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed." He then looked up at the clan and continued, "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Ratpaw, Brokenpaw and Poppypaw." He then set his gaze upon Sharpclaw, and meowed, "You are a loyal and brave warrior, and I believe that it is time for you to receive your first apprentice. I hope that you will pass on the knowledge of battle that Rockfoot taught you to Ratpaw." Sharpclaw proudly walked up and touched noses with his new apprentice.

"Ashwhisker, your mentor, Sandfoot, taught you well. I hope you will pass that knowledge on to Poppypaw." Ashwhisker padded up and touched noses with Ratpaw. "And _I_ will mentor Brokenpaw." He said. "That is all."

"YES! WE'RE FINEALLY APPRENTICES!" I hollered after Raggedstar touched noses with me.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Raggedstar took me out to battle practice. "You see, Brokenpaw, it's like this, you crouch down to the ground as low as you can, and then, you pounce on your opponent with full power!" He said as he threw himself upon a rock. "Your turn," he said as he stepped in front of me. "Attack me as if I was an enemy patrol."

I crouched down, just as he had, but when I prepared to jump, "NO NO, NOT LIKE THAT! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP YOUR REAR END DOWN, FROG-BRAIN!" He hollered as I lowered my rear. "_That's _better, Brokenpaw." _Are _all _mentors this way?_ I thought. When I pounced on him, I made sure to keep my claws sheathed. When I landed on him, he snarled, "You call _that_ an _**ATTACK!?**__ A _KIT_COULD HAVE DONE BETTER THAN THAT, FROG-BRAIN!"_ He then shoved me back to where I was, and said, "Try again."

So I did, and this time, I unsheathed my claws, fury stirring within myself. When I leaped, he dodged, but I used another rock in the grove to land square on top of him, raking my claws down his back. After he forced himself up, and threw me off, he whirled around, pride swirling with surprise in his dark brown eyes. "_That's_ it! _That's_ what I was looki"ng for, Brokenpaw! Well done!" I was still a little dazed, but I couldn't help but to purr.

When we returned to camp, Raggedstar limped into Yellowfang's den, dried blood on his back, the cut in his leg still bleeding, but his eyes shone with pride. I could tell that I had done well. I went to the fresh kill pile when Ratpaw dashed out of the elder's den, free from his duties. "Well, how was it!?" he asked me excitedly, "your first day of training?!"

"It was fun, I learned so much about battle tactics." I meowed proudly as Ashwhisker padded into the camp, Poppypaw close behind. "Hi there, Poppypaw, what all did you do today? _I_ studied battle tactics."

"I caught a robin out on the marsh; it's in the fresh-kill pile now." She said proudly. "It's my first catch." I could tell that Ashwhisker was just as proud of her as she was proud of herself. An apprentice's first catch is always the most important in their lives. "I'm gonna go now, take that robin to the elders."

That night, I slept soundly, but was awoken before sun-up by Raggedstar, who was ready to take me out for some training. "Today, we will work on attacks again. You will be the strongest warrior in the forest, my son." He said as we padded out of the camp. "You'll be a battling master by the end of the moon!" He taught me several ambush strategies, but I liked the last one best. "You sit in the open, in enemy territory, and when the enemy is baffled, you strike. Try it out on me." I sank back into the bushes. "No no no, not like _that_, Brokenpaw." I kept absolutely silent. "Brokenpaw?" when he stuck his head n through the bushes, I lashed out at him. Surprised, he jerked back, blood trickling from his nose. I came out, proudly purring.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Raggedstar took me out to battle practice. "You see, Brokenpaw, it's like this, you crouch down to the ground as low as you can, and then, you pounce on your opponent with full power!" He said as he threw himself upon a rock. "Your turn," he said as he stepped in front of me. "Attack me as if I was an enemy patrol."

I crouched down, just as he had, but when I prepared to jump, "NO NO, NOT LIKE THAT! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP YOUR REAR END DOWN, FROG-BRAIN!" He hollered as I lowered my rear. "_That's _better, Brokenpaw." _Are _all _mentors this way?_ I thought. When I pounced on him, I made sure to keep my claws sheathed. When I landed on him, he snarled, "You call _that_ an _**ATTACK!?**_A _KIT _COULD HAVE DONE BETTER THAN THAT, FROG-BRAIN!" He then shoved me back to where I was, and said, "Try again."

So I did, and this time, I unsheathed my claws, fury stirring within myself. When I leaped, he dodged, but I used another rock in the grove to land square on top of him, raking my claws down his back. After he forced himself up, and threw me off, he whirled around, pride swirling with surprise in his dark brown eyes. "_That's_ it! _That's_ what I was looking for, Brokenpaw! Well done!" I was still a little dazed, but I couldn't help but to purr.

When we returned to camp, Raggedstar limped into Yellowfang's den, dried blood on his back, the cut in his leg still bleeding, but his eyes shone with pride. I could tell that I had done well. I went to the fresh kill pile when Ratpaw dashed out of the elder's den, free from his duties. "Well, how was it!?" he asked me excitedly, "your first day of training?!"

"It was fun, I learned so much about battle tactics." I meowed proudly as Ashwhisker padded into the camp, Poppypaw close behind. "Hi there, Poppypaw, what all did you do today? _I_ studied battle tactics."

"I caught a robin out on the marsh; it's in the fresh-kill pile now." She said proudly. "It's my first catch." I could tell that Ashwhisker was just as proud of her as she was proud of herself. An apprentice's first catch is always the most important in their lives. "I'm gonna go now, take that robin to the elders."

That night, I slept soundly, but was awoken before sun-up by Raggedstar, who was ready to take me out for some training. "Today, we will work on attacks again. You will be the strongest warrior in the forest, my son." He said as we padded out of the camp. "You'll be a battling master by the end of the moon!" He taught me several ambush strategies, but I liked the last one best. "You sit in the open, in enemy territory, and when the enemy is baffled, you strike. Try it out on me." I sank back into the bushes. "No no no, not like _that_, Brokenpaw." I kept absolutely silent. "Brokenpaw?" when he stuck his head n through the bushes, I lashed out at him. Surprised, he jerked back, blood trickling from his nose. I came out, proudly purring.

"Ha ha! That's it, that's I, Brokenpaw!" he was filled with pride once more. Yellowfang padded out into the clearing carrying several different herbs and a few cobwebs.

"Wow are you two? Working hard, I see," she said through the mouth full of herbs that she held in her jaws. "You seem to be having fun." She dropped the herbs at her paws. "Have you learned to hunt yet?"

"Unless you consider him _prey,_" I mewed as I pointed my tail at Raggedstar, "then _no_."

"Well, that won't do." she said, shaking her head. "A true warrior doesn't just need to _fight_, Raggedstar." Raggedstar tsked at that comment. "He needs to find prey for the clan. You'd think that if all the cats in the clan died except for Brokenpaw, you wouldn't care!"

"I would too, Yellowfang;" Raggedstar roared, forcing Yellowfang back. "It's _my _clan, Yellowfang, not _yours_!" He snarled as he lashed out at the old medicene cat. "You wouldn't understand, I'd grieve them all, EXCEPT FOR _YOU_! _I HATE YOU, _YOU OLD SMELLY, FROG-BRAINED…" he stopped, looking around as he tried to find the right word. "You… you… DARK FOREST CAT!"

I'd never seen Raggedstar so furious before. Yellowfang looked hurt and insulted by the argument. She picked up her pile of herbs and ran to camp with tears in her eyes, furious yet sad at the same time. "Raggedstar…" I started

"SHUT YOU STUPID MUZZLE, YYOU WORTHLESS FUR BALL! YOU CAN'T HANDLE ANY OF THESE MOVES, _ANY OF THEM! I HATE everything! I HATE THE FOREST, I HATE OUR TERRITORY, _I HATE THE CLAN!" He screamed with fury at me. I shrank back. "GET OUT OF THE FOREST, _I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE EVER AGAIN!_"


	4. Chapter 4

I was shocked. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was Brokenstar, the clan's leader, my mentor, my _father_, kicking me out of ShadowClan? _Oh StarClan, no! this isn't happening, it's not!_ I can feel tears streaming down my face, but I don't move. I can't. I _won't_. "WHY ARE YOU STILL THERE, I SAID _GET __**OUT!**_" Raggedstar roared out at me. He lashed out at me, claws unsheathed. I dodge without much effort. We'd worked on battle moves so much, that I knew his _every_ move. It wasn't hard to tire him out, and when I did, _WHAM!_ I lashed out at him with my claws, and dashed underneath him, and raked his soft underside. He yowled out in pain, and, not thinking straight, I lunged for his neck.

I can taste the blood that is seeping out of the deadly wound. I come to my senses, and see Raggedstar on the ground, lying in a pool of blood, **dead**. _Oh StarClan, no!_ I thought as I stared at his lifeless body. I am flooded with a mixture of grief, sorrow, anger, guilt, and one I couldn't understand, _joy_. Why am I feeling joy, I just _killed_ my _**father**_. I am so confused, that I don't notice Raggedstar getting up. "You… you took one of my nine lives." He mewed as he looked down at me, the wound in his neck still dripping with blood. _I didn't mean to, I'm _so_ sorry!_ I think, and prepare for a blow. I look up at him, his eyes mixed with fear and pride, but mostly pride. "You… you are an incredible fighter, Brokenpaw. Maybe Yellowfang's right, maybe I _am_ over doing it on the battle training." He looked up at the sky, and mewled, "She _was _right. Being a great warrior isn't just about fighting," he looked down at me and continued, "And it's not all about hunting, either. It's about staying true to yourself, and fallowing the warrior code. I was blinded by how proud of your fighting skills were on the first day of training that I was to blind to see it." He then looked at his paws, and then back to me, and purred, "You truly will be the greatest warrior ShadowClan… no, that the _forest_ has ever seen! You'll be wonderful." Then he padded up to me, and wrapped his tail around me, and rested his head on my shoulder. His face was wet, as he meowed, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you, Brokenpaw. I'm so, so sorry." He stood there, and wept for a little bit. When he'd at last calmed down, we headed back to camp. He went straight to Yellowfang's den, while I went into the apprentices den, ignoring the curious mewls of my littermates. I crawled into my nest, and fell asleep almost instantly.

"Wake up, young one." I heard the gentle voice of a she cat. I open my eyes. Standing in front of me is a black long furred she cat with bright green eyes, and stars in her pelt. "Come now, we don't want to be late. The others are waiting."

"Are… are you from StarClan?" I stumbled. "Why… have you… come to me?"

"That will soon be answered. Now come, the others will be disappointed if we are late." She turned and padded out of the den.

"But, the warriors will be furious with me. I need to ask them first."

"No need. Now come."

We walk in silence for a while, through our territory. I'm very confused, and I don't understand it. What does this cat want with me. _Me_. Of all the cats in ShadowClan, she chose _me_. "Who are you?" I turn my face up to meet hers. "Why do you need _me_?"

"That will be answered when we arrive."

"Arrive _where_?!" I snapped. I don't know this cat, she's taking me to who knows where, and my paws are starting to ache. "I want to go home."

"To bad, your not going anywhere, the others will be furious."

"WHAT _OTHERS_?! WHAT DO YOU _MEAN_?!"

"Calm yourself, young one. You'll learn soon enough. We're almost there." she mewed gently. Not to long after, she stops. "We're here." I look around in awe. I am in a clearing , and the only thing breaking the calm stream of moonlight was four _huge_ oak trees, and there was a large rock in front of them. There are three cats sitting atop of the rock. A muscular bright orange tom, a lean she-cat with wiry gray fur, and a slender silver tom.

"What is this place?! This is incredible!" I say as I look around the clearing, now filled with countless cats, all from StarClan, I think. "Who are _they_?"

"Your questions will be answered, for we are all StarClan cats. I am Shadow."

"I am Wind." the wiry gray she-cat said, stepping forward.

"I am River." the silver tom meowed proudly as he stepped up.

"And I am Thunder." the orange tom said as he sat down.

"Wind, Shadow, Thunder, River… are you…"

"Yes. We _are_." Thunder meowed

`"We are, _the original clan leaders_."


	5. Chapter 5

"We have called you here, young one." Wind mewed in her soft and gentle voice, she sounded a lot like a warm green leaf breeze. "You have an incredible destiny ahead of you. We are here…"

"To make sure that you follow the right path to that destiny." River butted in. The silver tom's voice wasn't as gentle and calm as Wind's, but it was still gentle, like a flowing river.

"We will see to it that you stay on that path, no matter _what_ it takes." Thunder growled in his low voice, like thunder booming in the sky during a bad storm. "You will stay on this path."

"Calm down, Thunder. Keep your temper." Shadow purred in her mysteriously gentle voice, like the night shadows whispering in the night. "He always does that, so don't mind him."

"But, why do you need _me_? Why do _I_ have an amazing destiny, and not some other cat?"

"We have chosen you." Wind purred in my ear. "Now, it's time to go home."

"Why?"

"Because," River mewed, "it's almost sun-up. You need to go back to your den."

"Will I ever see you again, because I have more questions."

"Yes, we will visit you from time to time, in your dreams," Thunder purred. The three cats turned around, but before they left, Thunder looked over his shoulder and hissed, "Shadow, take him home. You know ShadowClan territory best." Then, they were gone. They just… _vanished_.

"Come on. Lets go." Shadow mewed. "We don't have much time."

The next thing I knew, I was in my nest, like it never happened, but my paws ached like I'd walked to the sun-drown place and back. I stand up and shake loose moss and a few twigs from my fur. I walk outside and stretch in the warm leaf-fall sun. The dawn patrol was just about to leave, when Foxheart, the clan deputy, turned and looked over at me. "Hey, Brokenpaw," she called, beckoning me with her tail. "Raggedstar wants to see you about something."

"What is it, did I do something wrong?" I curiously looked up at the red and white she-cat, hoping to get an answer, but she simply shook her head.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me." She turned around, and mewed over her shoulder, "I think it's about the gathering tonight."

_The _gathering_?! Brokenstar wants to take me to the gathering tonight?!_ I excitedly trot towards his den, wondering if it's really what Foxheart said it would be. I mew a greeting before entering. "Brokenstar; you wanted to see me?"


End file.
